Nut grader



July 10, 1923. I 1,461,264

' W. P. BULLARD NUT GRADER Filed Feb. 2'7. 1922 v 3 Sheets-Sheet l ZdiZZiam PBuZZar'd,

July 10, 1923.

1,461,264 w. P. BULLARD NUT GRADER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 27. 1922 ZdiZZiam ZBzzZZar-d,

July 10, 1923. 1,461,264

W. P. BULLARD NUT GRADER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 27. 1922 gnue'nfo't Zdz'ZZiam PBuZZard, w

Patented July 10, 1923. I

. IT-ED,"

a. s i

wrnnrnivr P. BU nAnn, art-ALBANY; GEOBGIEA.

NUT enannn;

Application fiiea'rebruar ez, 1922. Serial Na. 539,530.

particularly useful in. the grading ofpecan; nuts, t is, of course, not limited to'athat'user;

It has beendifficultito separate pecans-intolots of different sizes because of their varying forms, some being-long andthin and others relatively short and-of great diameter.

Moreover it is difiicult to mechanically feed. a mixed lot of nuts to the grading mecha f nism, and with :pecannuts especially they will often interfit in sucha manner that they will produce an arch, so that'their de livery is prevented. These difficulties are overcome in the present invention v Inthe accompanying drawings Figure l isi 'a iplanview' of one embodiment thereof,v V 1 Figure 2"is 'a side elevation of the same, 4 Figure 3 is a detail perspective'view of the channel spout of the'lhopper', v

Figure 4 is a side elevation-of a modified form of feeding mechanism,

Figure 5 is a plan view of a portion of the same, 7

F igure 6 is a detail perspective view of the channel spout of the hopper structure shown in Figure 4.

Referring to the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3,, a suitable supporting frame '7 is employed enclosing a container 8 for the graded nuts, and having compartments to which access is gained. through doors 9. Jo-urnaled longitudinally in the top of the frame over the container 8 are pairs of grading rolls 10, each roll having portions of successively decreased diameter,

as will be clear by reference to Figure 1. Each of these rolls moreover is provided with a screw rib 11 formed in any suitable manner, the ribs of coacting companion rolls being inclined in opposite directions. These rolls are provided at their larger ends with intermeshing gears 12, whereby the coacting rolls of each setare simultaneously rotated in opposite directions. The gear of one of the end rolls is inmesh with a worm 13 carried by a drive shaft 14: suitably journaled in the frame, and this shaftli s if shown at 15, to a suitable motor 16.

' Mounted p e nd of the frame? is I nut-receiving hopper '17, the rear inclined; wall of which includes a reciprocatoiyplate' 18, forming anagitator. The, oppositeside I has open slQtS l9, and depending from this open portion is a curved spout 20 formedinto; a-QSGIIGS of channels.21,the upper ends of whlch are preferably flared, as shown at 22. A feeding drum 23, journaledas illustratedat 24, on the frame 7,is:provided,,witl1 a plurality of annular series of cups-25 thatproject. therefrom and operate respectively? in the difierent channels 21 and through; the.

slots 19. The arrangement is suchithatflatleast two of the cups are simultaneously.

each ofthe channels 21.. Thedruin is ,in} tended tobe.rotatedsofthatjthe'cupsywill,

pass upwardly through the channels. 22 :and;

slots -19 and these cups discharge between:

I the larger ends of :each set offcoactingrolls.

A hood 26;is located ,overthe' drum and its.

outer end preferably is spacedtherefrom, as a 5, Sversely.overthe-rollsfis clearly shown in Figure 2,:

I Journaled tran crank shaft 27,. on. the endsf of which are located crank wheels 28,.andrpitmen 2.9 "enq gaged. with said wheelsare connectedto ears 30 on the agitator plate 18. One of thesev 'cranlrdisks 28 is in the formof a sprocket wheel, andpassing around the same is a sprocket chain 31 that passes around a gear if wheel 32 fixed to the drum. Achange-speed gearing is interposed between the motor 16 and the crankshaft 27. This change-speed gearing is preferably in the form of oppo-.

sitely disposed cone pulleys '33 connected by a belt 34, which belt is maintained taut by a suitable tightening device 85. One of these cone pulleys 38 is geared, as shown at 361/00,v

the motor and the other is belted, as shown at 37 tothe crank shaft 27.

. l/Vith this construction, when" thexpecans If or other nuts are introduced into the hopper 17 and the motor is in-operation they will. I V gravitate toward the slots'19 and! channels They will therefore be successively picked up by the upwardly rotating cups these rolls are, rotated obviously the'jnut's and delivered on to the grading rolls; As

will be carried down until the space between the rolls is suflicient 'to permit them I to thus drop through, the different sizes" being collected. throggh' the doorways 9.

The agitator 18 in connection with the cups effectively prevents the lodging of the nuts and their arching in the hopper.

A modified form of construction is illustrated in Figures 4 and .5 and 6. In this embodiment the frame carrying the grading rolls is designated 7", and the hopper is illustrated at 17 It is provided with a series of slots 19, through which pass cups 2O.- carried by a plurality of endless belts 21 These belts pass around lower. pulleys 22 and upper pulleys 23. The pulleys 23* are mounted on a shaft 24 that is driven as illustrated at 25 from a motor 26". The

" hopper is provided with depending channel spouts 27 grooved as shownat 28 and rest ing on the belts. Through the grooves the cups pass. The cups on each of the belts deliver to a suitable hopper 29 that direct the nuts delivered tothe grading rolls as shown at 30.

From the foregoing, itis thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Havin thus fully described my invention, what I claimas new, and desire to secure by'Lett'ers Patent, is':-

1. In nut feeding means, a hopper having a side wall with openings therein and an opposite movable wall, means moving adj acent said openings and carrying nuts therefromwto points outside the hopper, and

means for simultaneously operating said nut-carrying means and themovable ,wall.

2. In nut feeding means, a hopper having a side with openings therein and an opposite movable agitator, nut-receiving cups mounted to move upwardly and project through said openings in their passage to carry the nuts upwardly out of the hopper and means for moving said cups and said agitator.

3. In nut feeding means, a hopper having a plurality of channels extending downwardly therefrom, and means for carrying said channels, an agitator in the hopper, and

means for actuating the agitator.

5. In nut feeding means, a hopper having a rear movable agitating walland :a front.

side provided with openings, a plurality of depending channels communicating with said openings,-a rotary drum havingprojecting nut carrying deviceszthat operate through said channels and said openings, and means for rotatlng the drum and moving the agitating wall;

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses,

L WP- UL 'ARD;

Witnesses M. BALDWIN,- Y. H; McG-am, 

